Albertsons is facing a federal lawsuit accusing the grocery chain's Sandy store of racial discrimination.
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on Thursday said it had filed the lawsuit against Supervalu Inc., based in Eden Prairie, Minn., which owns Albertsons. The lawsuit contends that the store engaged in "discrimination against an African-American employee and retaliation against her for complaining about it."
The complaint, filed in U.S. District Court in Salt Lake City, was based on charges made by former courtesy clerk Cindy Jones, who worked at the Sandy store on Highland Drive from 2002 to 2003. According to the lawsuit, Jones was forced to endure racial slurs in the workplace, and when she complained to management, rather than take corrective action, Albertsons retaliated against her by ordering her to immediately return to work in the middle of a pre-approved vacation.
She was eventually fired for complaining about the discrimination, the lawsuit said.
Race discrimination in the workplace and retaliation for complaining about it violates the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The agency said it filed the lawsuit after initially attempting to reach a voluntary settlement with the company.
Supervalu spokeswoman Donna Eggers said the company declined to comment on the lawsuit. "Albertsons does not comment on the status of former or current employees," she said.
The lawsuit seeks unspecified monetary damages, including lost wages and out-of-pocket costs, as well as emotional-distress and punitive damages.
The agency's lawsuit also asks a judge to compel Albertsons to implement policies to eliminate and prevent future episodes of race discrimination, as well as take any appropriate disciplinary measures against managers involved in acts of discrimination.
Jones, in an agency news release, said that she is hopeful that the lawsuit will teach Albertsons a lesson.
"It's a company that sells itself as a good wholesome place, but what happened to me there was degrading, and their actions were just immoral," she said.
Commission attorney Mary Jo O'Neill noted that the agency also has two other pending cases in Colorado that accuse Albertsons of race and national-origin discrimination.
"We feel this company needs a wake-up call to end what appears to be a very disturbing pattern in its stores," O'Neill said.
E-mail: jlee@desnews.com